Implement for use in hand brickwork



C. T. LUTZ IMPLEMENT FOR UsE IN HAND BRICKWORK 1 INVENTOR ATTOR 'EY CARL THEODORE LUTZ, OF DRE$DEN-GRUNA, GERMANY lemme-N".-

IMPLEMENT FOR 'KFSE IN HAND BBICKWORK.

Application filec fiicptember 11, 1922. Serial No. 587,543.

To all 20. mmit may concern:

Be it known that I, Cant Trmononu LUTZ, a citizen Germany, and residing at Dre den-Gruna, Heynahts-Str. 7, Germany, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in implements for Use in Hand Brickwork, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a process of building with bricks of any kind, light and hollow ones included. Heretofore this process consisted in that the bricklayer had to grasp the bricks by hand, lift and place them in position. The strain thus exerted on the hands of the bricklayer was the cause of the small standard size of the bricks be cause no larger size could be used with sutficient speed.

The present invention enables the bricklayer to take hold of the bricks, which is in the usual manner transported to his working place within his reach, by means of an implement which is as easily applied as withdrawn and which saves his hands from the grasping strain, by connecting the brick when applied with the handle of the implement, that he then lifts and lays the brick and adjusts it in its final position, also by means or the same implement, and otherwise acts in the well known manner for erecting brick work.

By this new process the bricklayer is'enabled to lay bricks of larger size with the same speed as he can now lay the standard size bricks and in consequence to erect brick work in relatively shorter time. The same advantages are gained when the larger sized bricks after being cut oil from the brick press must be carried unto the trolley and thence unto the drying shelves, and again into the kiln, and from there being despatched until they reach the bricklayer. Besides the space in the kilns is better utilized and coal and time in setting the kiln saved. Further, the wall erected with bricks of larger size are stronger on account of havin g fewer joints, also mortar being saved for the same reason. Considerable saving oi wages for the bricklayers who build up walls of equal size in less time than before is also effected, and it is most important that they are able to do this with exerting less body strain.

Provided that the larger sizes of bricks which the invention allows to work with are well chosen further considerable advantages can be gained. If for instance the cross sect'ion o1 the brick is square the brick can be grasped in every position and no turning is needed before grasping it. lfthe cross section is rectangular one side of the parallelogram being equal to the widths of the stand ard size plus the width of one mortar joint,

then such bricks can be layed together with lay it in position and adjust it there. Therefore, it must graspthe brick, at three points for instance, so that a tilting action may be obtained both in longitudinal as well as in lateral direction. Any other means which connect the whole body of the brick with the handle of the implement in such a way that the brick is forced to follow every movement of the handle can be made use of. For instance, instead of three points there can be taken two points of connection and in addition means for transmitting any turning action in a plane at right angles to the line which connects the said two points,

In the drawings wherein I have illustrated several simple and practical embodiments of the device adapted for carrying out the present invention and in which sim ilar reference characters designate correspbnding parts throughout the several views; .7 c

Figure l is a side elevation showing one form of the device arranged in its applied position upon a brick;

Figure 2 is to top plan view;

Figure 8 is a view similar to Figure 1 illustrating a slightly modified form of the device; and

Figure 4: is a detail fragmentary view of the handle used in connection with the device shown in Figure 8.

Referring in detail to the drawings, and more particularly to Figures 1 and 2 thereof, a pair of levers 5 are rigidly connected together at one of their ends by a suitablehandle-"G, each lever at its other end beingformed with an angular disposed gripping jaw 7. Adjacent to their latter ends the levers 5 are connected and braced by means of the rods 8.

Spaced tension bars 9 are loosely engaged at one of their ends upon the rod 8 at the inner side of the respective levers 5, said tension bars being of appreciably greater length than the levers and extending laterally beneath and beyond the handle 6. Each of these tension bars likewise terminates at its free end in an angular gripping jaw 10, said bars at their other ends, which are mounted upon the cross rod 8, are provided at their upper sides with the stop flanges 11 which limit the turning movement of the tension bars upon said rod in each direction.

The levers 5 and the bars 9 are of the proper dimensions in accordance with the size of the brick to be handled so that when the device is applied, as in Figure 1, the handle will be positioned approximately in line with the center of gravity. Thus, when the device is arranged on top of the brick with the gripping jaws 7 and 10 engaging over the end faces of the brick, as the handle 6 is lifted, said jaws are moved inwardly, the brick forming a longitudinal and transverse rigid connection with the grasping device. The brick may thus be easily transported to its position in the wall structure and aft r working the brick in the mortar bed to secure a good bonded connection, the device may be readily disconnected from the brick by slightly lowering or pi'ishing downward on the handle so thatthe jaws 7 and 10 will be moved outwardly away from' the brick ends. In order to insure proper and positive operation of the relatively movable parts of the device, even in cases where the opposite end surfaces of the bricks are not parallel, I may arrange the two tension bars as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2 of the drawings, or in other words, converge such members towards each other and connect the same at their free endsito a single gripping jaw 10. An obvious alternative of this arrangement is to provide a single tension bar" fulcrumed at one end centrally upon the connecting rod 8 between the levers 5. In either case, the brick will be grasped at the two spaced points atone end and only at a single central point at its opposite end.

In the modified form of the invention seen in Figure 3, I provide two pairs of levers 12 arranged in suitably spaced relation to each otherand the levers of each pair being pivotally connected at one of their ends as at 14 to the opposite ends of a bar .15. To said end of each lever a detachablegripping jaw 16 is secured in suitable manner. The previously de scribed forms of the device may also be provided with such detachable jaws, if de sired.

The other ends of the levers 12 in each pair are lapped upon each other and disposed upon the inner side of a vertical arm 17 formed upon the upper edge of the bar 15. The lapped ends of the lever are slotted as at 18 to loosely receive the reduced extensions 20 formed on the opposite ends of the handle 19, said extensions also projecting through vertical slots 21 in the arms 1?. These slots are provided in their opposite edges and at their lower ends with notches to receive latch lug 23 on each end of the handle 19.

The manner of operation of this form of my invention will be readily understood; thus when the handle is lifted, the extensionsQOare moved freely in the slots 21 in an upward direction and also in the slots provided from the ends of the lever 12 whereby said levers are rocked upon the ends of the connecting bars 15 and the jaws 16 caused to securely grip the end faces of the brick. As the handle 19 is freely rotatable in the frame structure after the brick has been laid in position, the handle may be lowered between the vertical plates 17 and rotated to engage the latch lugs 23 in the notches 22 at one side of the slots 21, whereby the two grasping levers are latched in an inoperative position so that the device can be easily disengaged from the brick.

From the foregoing description considered in connection with the accompanying drawings it will be seen that the present invention consists in the use of large, preferably square bricks, which could not be handled by hand is easily carried out by means of the above described device for handling and transporting bricks, wall blocks or the like.

While I have herein referred to several simple and efiicient embodiments of the device for carrying out the present invention, it is nevertheless to be understood that the device might also be produced in numerous other alternative constructions, and I accordingly reserve the privilege of adopting all such legitimate changes in the form, construction and relative arrangement of the several parts as may be fairly embodied within the spirit and scope of the invention, which consists in a building construction characterized by the fact that large, preferably square bricks, which might not be handled by hand, are used by means of respecting devices for gripping, lifting and transporting said bricks as heretofore described.

I claim 1. An implement for use in erecting brick work comprising a plurality of arms having claws on one end adaptedafor engagement with the end walls of a h rick, a pivot ing connection with the inner end of another arm and said other arm extending from the pivot for engagement with the opposite end of a brick, said pivot being located near the claw ends of the pair of arms and the inner ends of said pair of arms extending beyond the pivot and above said other arm to form a handle for binding the claws a ainst the opposite ends of a brick and for facilitating the releasing of one end of the iinpiement after the brick is in place.

2. An implement for erecting brick work comprising two pairs of arms having claws on their outer ends, a transverse pivot connecting the inner ends of one pair of arms to an intermediate portion of the other pair of arms and near the claws thereof, the inner ends or" said other pair of arms extending inwardly beyond the pivot, and hand grip secured across the inner ends of said other pair of arms for raising and lowering the same upon the pivot to bind the claws against the opposite ends'of a brick.

In testimony whereof I afli'x my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

CARL THEODORE LUTZ. Witnesses: Y

D. A. MILLER,

GROEBER. 

